


Searching

by ParanoidSeat



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (Big Finish Audio)
Genre: Gen, Hot Chocolate, Star Gazing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-06
Updated: 2010-01-06
Packaged: 2017-10-05 21:42:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/46315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ParanoidSeat/pseuds/ParanoidSeat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Evelyn finds some unexpected company.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Searching

**Author's Note:**

> Beta'd by 'agapi42' and 'ponygirl72'.

The night was clear and cold, and the thermos being cradled by the fingerless-gloved hands of the man in the next allotment over made Evelyn wish she had something warm of her own. Her fingers were freezing from poking around under rhubarb leaves in the hope of finding some sign of whatever thingamajig the Doctor was after, and his suggestion that they split up to cover more ground had resulted in her being left to root around in other people's gardens by herself, so she was none too happy.

"What a wonderful idea this was, Doctor," she murmured to herself, lifting a plant pot to check underneath. "Someone's probably already found it and sold it as scrap..." Her foot caught in a length of twine as she turned to inspect a planting tray, and she found herself sitting down rather abruptly on a bag of potting soil. She huffed in annoyance, and decided just to sit for a bit and survey the allotment from this lower vantage point.

"You all right, love?" The thick grey eyebrows of the man in the next allotment were drawn together with concern.

Evelyn managed to sit upright and give him a friendly smile. "Just fine, thanks," she replied, but the slight chattering of her teeth gave her away.

"You want some hot chocolate?" He waved the thermos above his head.

Moments later, Evelyn was gratefully wrapping her hands around a warm plastic mug as she sat on a wooden stool next to the man, who'd said his name was Wilf.

"Are you looking for something, then?" he asked, nodding towards the allotment she had been searching in.

Evelyn nodded. "I'm helping out my friend. He buried something in one of these gardens about ten years ago, and now he wants it back, only he can't remember which garden, and the lease expired ages ago." She found herself smiling at that, only just realising the absurdity of the Doctor's little quest now that she wasn't so cold and grumpy and alone.

"What is it? The thing you're looking for."

"Some kind of scientific whatever-it-is. He likes to tinker with machines."

Wilf frowned in puzzlement. "Why did he bury it out here?"

Evelyn gave an expressive shrug. "I haven't the faintest!" she said with a laugh.

Wilf grinned back at her, his teeth endearingly crooked. "Well, do you know what it looks like?" he asked.

"It's in a little red toolbox, about this big -" she indicated with her hands, "- but it's padlocked, so I don't know what the thing itself looks like. He said something about it having a little everlasting light attached to it, that was just below the surface of the soil, so he'd be able to find it."

"Kind of funny that he's lost it, then, isn't it?" said Wilf, chuckling. "But hey now," he added quickly, "hold on." He got to his feet and rummaged around in the open shed behind them for a few moments, before pulling out a small metal box and handing it to Evelyn. "Is this it?"

"I think it might be!" she said in surprise. It was red, padlocked, and a sturdy string of some sort hung from one corner, the end glowing determinedly. "It was in your garden?"

"Dug it up when I first got the place," said Wilf. "Back before I gave up on the plants and just stuck to star-gazing. I'd forgotten all about it."

"Well!" She held it in her lap and smiled. "That's a long night's searching you've saved me! Thank you, Wilf." He grinned at her, pulled his red woollen hat a little lower on his brow, sat back down in his foldaway chair by the telescope and poured himself another cup of hot chocolate. He offered her the thermos and she held out her mug, smiling warmly.

"Is your friend still hunting for it?" he asked as he poured.

"I should think so." Evelyn sat up a little straighter and peered across the allotments, searching for the telltale blue coat. She thought she caught a glimpse of him several gardens away, but wasn't sure. "Let him keep looking for a while," she said with a mischievous smile. "Serves him right for leaving me all alone in the cold." She cradled the mug, enjoying the welcome warmth.

Wilf chuckled, then glanced up at the night sky and leaned forward to adjust something on the telescope. He peered down the eyepiece for a few moments, murmuring something under his breath while Evelyn looked on in interest.

"Here, have a look at that." He waved her towards it, and she shifted to the edge of her stool to have a look.

Saturn was focused clearly; its rings showed up as bumps on either side of the pale disc, and a few stars shimmered in the background. Evelyn breathed a quiet exclamation of wonder, then sat up to see Wilf smiling to himself.

"I used to do this with my granddaughter," he said, indicating the telescope and the thermos.

"Oh. Is she...?"

"She's away, travelling." Wilf stared up at the stars. "She came back for a visit a few weeks ago. Around the time that ATMOS thing was happening."

Evelyn nodded, pretending she understood while wondering what on earth the 'ATMOS thing' could've been.

"She helped sort it out," he said with quietly beaming pride. "Her and the Doctor."

The mug stopped halfway to her lips, and she held it carefully in her lap again and stared at Wilf in astonishment. He didn't notice, just kept smiling strangely at the dark sky.

"The Doctor?" she repeated eventually.

"Just this man she knows," said Wilf, returning his attention to Earth. "Goes around helping people." He gave her a cautious glance. "You wouldn't believe half the things I could tell you about him."

Evelyn chuckled into her hot chocolate. "Oh, I think you'd be surprised." Spotting a flash of blue not far away, she half-rose from her seat and gave a wave. "Doctor!" she called.

Wilf stumbled to his feet, his face a picture of surprise and confusion. "The Doctor? But - but he's not... He's away in space, with Donna!"

"I don't believe I am," said the Doctor, wandering into the allotment with his hands in his pockets. "Maybe you're thinking of another me." He gave Wilf a wide, affable smile and held out his hand, which Wilf shook with cautious bewilderment. "You found it?" he said to Evelyn, who held up the little red box.

"Wilf found it, actually. He's been keeping it in his shed."

"Excellent!" The Doctor took the box from her and looked it over. "Thank you for keeping it safe, Wilf."

"But, if you're the Doctor, and the man with Donna is the Doctor...?"

"Ah. Well, since I haven't travelled with anyone named Donna yet, I can only assume you've met a future me. So, best for me just to forget about this, really. Could change my personal timeline, and that's never a good thing."

Wilf's puzzled expression shifted a little into amusement, and he laughed somewhat wheezily. "Well, you definitely sound like the Doctor!" he chuckled.

The Doctor chuckled along with him for a moment or two before turning to Evelyn. "Right, we'd better get back to the TARDIS, Evelyn. Got to get this installed as quickly as possible, prevent any further damage to the old girl."

Evelyn nodded and handed her empty mug back with a smile. "It was lovely chatting to you, Wilf."

"You too. Will you be back anytime soon?"

She thought about it for a few moments. "Maybe," she replied honestly. She squeezed his hand affectionately, then got to her feet and followed the Doctor out of the allotment. When she looked over her shoulder, he was watching them with something akin to quiet fascination. She smiled, and waved goodbye.


End file.
